Sound record and apparatus therefor



Nov. 5, 1940. P. M. LOTT 2,220,488

SOUND RECORD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Dec, 6, 195a Pa r/rer 77X L off Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES SOUND REooRD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR 7 Parker M. Lott, Warren, Pa. Application December 6, 1938, Serial N01 244,237

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a new sound record and apparatus for recording and reproducing the same.

The invention is primarily directed to producing a sound record on a thread-like filament of indeterminate length by photographic means and also to the reproducing of sound as recorded on such a filament.

Prior to this invention many methods have been employed and many substances utilized in producing permanent sound records. Through the use of some of these methods the resulting record was limited both as to capacity and permanency. In other instances the methods employed were complex and failed to record or reproduce sound impulses with acceptable fidelity.

The invention is applicable to many uses with only necessary variance as to form. In the present disclosure there is provided a sound-receiving unit such as a microphone or loud-speaker that may be either electrically or mechanically connected with an apparatus adapted to convert the sound impulses into light impulses. A threadlike filament, of indefinite length, and having a light-sensitive surface is passed through the apparatus and receives and records the light impulses thereon. Preferably, immediately these impulses are recorded they are fixed for permanency and the filament may then be wound onto a suitable spool or reel. A further apparatus is provided which, when the filament is passed therethrough, scans the light record and registers corresponding electrical impulses, which are in turn converted into sound waves made 85 audible through a conventional receiver or am- Among the many objects and advantages of the .present invention is the producing of a sound record by photographic means on a filament of 40 such small diameter that a record of any desired length may be made at very little expense. The

nature of the filament is such that the record,

ing. This is due to the simplicity of both the re-,

cording and reproducing apparatus, as well as the fact that the filament is not fragile, nor readily 55' susceptible to breakage and, in the event of Furthermore, by reason of the small size breakage, may be quickly and easily spliced with no appreciable or even noticeable break in the sound track.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood and appre: 5 ciated from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing; and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for recording light waves in permanent 10 form on a thread-like photographic filament;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one type of apparatus for creating and controlling a circular light path through which a light-sensitive filament is moved; 15

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view ofthe apparatus shown in Figure 2; V

Figure 4; is a greatly enlarged view of a portion of a filament illustrating, in substance, its appearance after being passed through the apparatus shown in Figures 2 and 3; V

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for registering the light impulses of the filament andconverting and reproducing such impulses as sound impulses; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view of the scanning portion of the struc-' ture illustrated in Figure 5.

, Reference is now had particularly'to the drawing wherein the numeral I0 is employed to generallyidesig'nate one "form of; apparatus for re-, ceiving and converting sound impulses into light impulses and transferring such light impulses onto a recording medium. I

The apparatus l0 includes an exposure unit ll that, for the purpose of the invention is mounted or built in a box-like container l2. The unit ll provides a circular beam of light focusing at the center thereof, and to this end there is provided a circular lighting member l3. The member I3 maybe aglass enclosure for a light filament 14. With the exception of an inner narrow band IS, the member I3 is made opaque so that-lightfrom the filamentl 4 may be directed radially inwardly. To increase the intensity of light from the filament l4, it may be'founddesirable to provide a reflecting element such as is indicated at ll; The side walls l8 of the container [2 serve to mount a pair of relatively adjustable shutters I9 and 2l. 0'

These shutters may be cylinder-like members and are concentric with each other, as well as with the lighting member 13. The shutter 19 may have threaded engagement. with a collar 22.joined to the wall l8 for'the purpose of providing axial ll adjustment. A small diameter opening 23 is made in the shutter I9.

The shutter 2|, in one form, comprises a cylinder 24 that is secured to the other side wall I 8. Within the cylinder is an element 26 that is formed with a small diameter opening 21. The openings 23 and 2'! of the shutters l9 and 2! are concentric. 'The element 26 is mounted in the cylinder 24 in such a manner that it is freely movable axially of the cylinder} This element may have direct mechanical connection; through a rod or wire 28, with a microphone or transmitter 29, or may be connected with a microphone electrically. That is, a magnetic mechanism 30, as indicated in dot and dash line, may be connected with the element 26 to actuate said element when electrical impulses are produced in the microphone. The particular meansby which the sound impulses received by the microphone are converted into mechanical vibrations to actuate the element26 is well known and may be optional-with diffiere'nt applications .of use-of the invention.

The material on which the sound record is to be .made consists of a'thread-like filament 3|,

= preferably circular in cross section and of such materialas cotton, silk, or metal. It hasconsiderable tensile strength and is either coated or formed with a light-sensitivesurface.

To illustrate the steps by which sound impulses entering the microphone 29 are recorded on the filament 3| in permanent form, attention is particularly directed to Figure 1 of the drawing wherein is shown a reel or spool 32 on which is wound many turns of the filament. The filament may pass from the reel. 32 through suitable guides such as rollers 33, and thence into the container l2 through the openings 21 and 23. From the container l2 thefilament 3| passes into a fixing device 34, thence through guide rollers 36 and onto a further reelk3l. It will be under,- stood that the reel 32, r'ollers33, andcontainer I2 are enclosed in a light-proof'receptacle substantiallyas indicated by the dot' and dash line of Figurell In operation the light'filament I4 is energized and the 'msmenvsr fed through the containerJZ at a constant'speed and, by rotation of reel 31, or in any other suitable manner. The desired sound is presented 'to' the microphone 29 and the mechanical vibration of the element .26 adjusts said element to vary the gap 38 between it and the shutter IS. The opening and closing, or variation in width of the gap between the shutters causes light from the filament vl4 to reach the filament 3i intermittently and to a varying degree. Exposure of the filament 3| to the light produces a photographic impression in a form that may be described as a light impulse directly resulting from the sound impulse received bythe microphone. Impressions'of this nature occur as bands or streaks about the filament 3! and have the appearance of lights and shadows. of varying depth and area such as is suggested in the enlarged view of the filament in Figure 4 of the drawing. With one type of lighttion of heat -will fix the record. In either instance,

or with any other method, the record will be permanently fixed immediately on leaving the exposure unit H.

Inasmuch as the filament is of thread-like proportions, it will be readily understood that records of indefinite length may be made and reproduced without any interruption such as the changing of records or disks in phonographs or dictaphones, and that records of considerable length may be contained on a reel comparable in size to a spoolfor thread. To. illustrate, in one use of the device it is contemplated that the exposure unit I! will be capable of producing sufiicient light impulses per inch, per second to record any desired audible sounds. One of the present methods of recording sound impulses is on a marginal portion of a motion picture film and this film is run both for recording and reproducing at. approximately sixteen feet per inch. Thus'an hours program involves approximately one thousand feet of film. It is quite evident that a recording of corresponding length produced, in accordance with the present invention'may be more easily produced and used, as well as more conveniently stored or transported. This is particularly evident when it is considered that a small spool contains as much as six hundred feet of thread and it would only require a slightly larger spool or reel to accommodate one thousand feet of filament capable of producing an hours uninterrupted program. It is pointed out that should the filament break during the recording process, or should it be desired to make one continuous record of two separate recordings, the filament may be spliced with a quarter of an inch or less loss in recording due to overlap, and thus no appreciable interruption in the recording would be in evidence.

Reference is now had particularly to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawing wherein an apparatus is disclosed for reproducing the sound record of the filament 3|. This apparatus, generally indicated by the numeral 40, includes a suitable support 4| for the reel 31. The filament is fed from the reel 31 through suitable guides, such as rollers 42, into what may be termed a scanning unit 43 indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 5. From guides, such as rollers 44, to a re-wind reel 46.

In one ,form the scanning unit is shown to com-' prise a circular globe or tube 41 that contains a circular light filament 48. The walls of the tube 41 are suitably opaqued, with the exception of a narrow circular slot 49, adjacent or into which is fitted a circular lens 5|. The lens is so arranged that a cone-shaped beam of light 521s formed, having its apex 53 at the filament 3! which, as clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawing, moves directly through the center of the tube 41. Adjacent the tube 47 is a light-sensitive member 54 that, in one form, includes a continuous circular photo-electric cell 58. The cell 55 is so directed,

as to receive the rays of light reflected from the filament, and these rays of light form a cone complementary to the cone of light 52. As the filament 3! passes through the tube 4'! and member 54 the lights and shadows recorded thereon are scanned by the cell 56 and transformed intov electrical impulses that, when suitably amplified, become audible through a receiver or loudspeaker device.

It is to be understood that although the present invention has been described as providing a filament sensitive to visible light rays, it is within the contemplation of the invention to provide a. filament having a surface or coating sensitive toother forms of radiant energy, such as ultraviolet and infra-red rays. The apparatus for recording and reproducing'would be modified only to the extent of substituting another radiant energy unit for the lighting unit shown and a corresponding radiant energy responsive unit forthe photo-electric cell.

It is also to be understood that the bands or streaks of light and shadows photographically impressed on the filament may be varied both as to area and intensity or that the area may be constant and the intensity varied, or again the intensity held constant and the area varied.

Although applicant has shown and described only one modification of an apparatus for converting sound vibrations into photograph impressions on a light-sensitive thread-like filament, and only one modification of an apparatus for reproducing sound vibrations from a lightsensitive thread-like filament, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention may be modified to meet various requirements of use thereof and that such modification is contemplated insofar as they are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. A sound record comprising a thread-like body, said body being .circular in cross section and having its entire surface light sensitized, ring-like streaks of lights and shadows on said surface, said streaks varying in size and corresponding to variations in the sound vibrations recorded.

2. A sound record comprising a thread-like flexible body, said body being substantially circular in cross section and having a light sensitized surface, ring-like bands of photographically produced lights and shadows on said surface, said bands being disposed transversely of said body and of varying width and depth and corresponding to variations in the, sound vibrations recorded.

3. An apparatus for converting sound vibrations into photographic impressions on a lightsensitive filament comprising a ring-like light unit, means within said unit having an opening through which said filament may pass, said means blocking off light from said light unit to said filament and being physically responsive to the vibrations of a sound receiving device to expose said filament to the light of said unit to a varying degree as said filament is moved through said light unit.

4-. An apparatus for converting sound vibrations into photographic impressions on a lightsensitive filament comprising a ring-like unit, an enclosure for said light unit, said enclosure being partially opaqued to direct light radially inwardly, means interposed between the light from said unit and said filament, said means being connected with a sound receiving device and physically responsive to sound vibrations whereby to expose said filament to the light from said unit to a varying degree when said filament is passed through said unit.

5. An apparatus for converting sound vibrations into photographic impressions on a lightsensitive filament comprising a ring-like light unit through which said filament may be passed, an enclosure for said unit having an inner circular opening through which light from said unit is directed radially inwardly, means within said unit, said me'anshaving an opening concentric with said light unit for the passage therethrough of said filament, said means being connected with a sound receiving device and being physi device to expose said filament to light from said unit to a varying degree while said filament is being passed through said unit.

'7. An apparatus for converting sound vibrations into photographic impressions on a lightsensitive filament comprising a ring-like light unit, a pair of shutters disposed within said unit, said shutters having transverse concentric openings through which said filament may pass, said shutters being interposed between said light unit and said filament, means connecting at least one of said shutters with a sound receiving device, said means, when actuated by sound vibrations in said device, being adapted to adjust said shutter to expose said filament to the light of said unit to a varying degree as said filament is passed through said shutters and said unit.

8. An apparatus for reproducing sound from a photographically processed filament comprising a light unit, means directing light rays from said unit onto the entire surface of said filament,

and further means responsive to light variations as reflected from saidv filament, said further means producing vibrations translatable into audible sound when connected with a suitable amplifier device.

9. An apparatus for reproducing sound from a photographically processed filament comprising a scanning unit, means for conveying said filament through said unit, said unit having a light element directed on the entire surface ofsaid filament, and means responsive tolight rays reflected from said filament, said means producing vibrations translatable into audible sound when connected with a suitable amplifier device.

10. An apparatus for reproducingsound from a photographically processed filament comprising a scanning unit, means for conveying said filament through said unit, said unit having a light element encircling said filament, and means responsive tolight of variable intensity reflected from said filament, said means producing vibrations translatable into audible sound when connected with a suitable amplifier device.

11. An apparatus for reproducing sound from a photographically processed filament comprising a scanning unit, means for conveying said filament through said unit, said unit having a light element encircling said filament, a light responsive element encircling said filament adjacent said light element, said light responsive element being responsive to light rays reflected from said filament whereby to produce vibrations translatable into audible sound when connected with a suitable amplifier device.

12. An apparatus for reproducing sound from v entire surface of said filament, the other :of said elements being responsive to the light rays as reflected from said filament to produce Vibrations translatable into audible soundwhen connected with a suitable amplifier device.

13. An apparatus for reproducing sound from a photographically processed filament comprising a pair of substantially circular elements through which said filament may be passed, one 

